Monday, October 20, 2008

The 12 Days of Halloween - Georgie's Halloween

I have had a few of these moments as a Children's Librarian over the past 10 or so years. (It never really happened with the YA stuff earlier). I am busily shelving or edging, and a book catches my eye. I pull it off the shelf and low and behold it is a treasure from my childhood. It happened with The Mitten, and more recently with Georgie's Halloween.

Georgie is a shy little ghost. So shy that instead of the kind of haunting that you may imagine a ghost would get up to, he simply sticks by his friends Herman the cat and Miss Oliver the owl.

Things changed the year that there is a big Halloween celebration on the village green, and Mr. Whittaker (the owner of the house with the attic that Georgie haunted) is to give out a prize for the best costume. Georgie doesn't want to go to the celebration at first, but after he is encouraged by his friends he changes his mind. He is delighted with what he sees in the square, and the children who can see him are so that call out his name, and before Mr. Whittaker can get a glimpse of him, Georgie flies back to the house where he has his haunting routine and is so comfortable.

This is a Halloween story of the gentlest sort. Written in 1958 by Robert Bright, Georgie's Halloween is truly all ages. The black and white colour scheme with simply splashes of orange is so indicative of the time, and a welcome change to the riot of colours in so many of today's books.

Are you an author?

If you are an author and would like to send a copy of your book for me to review, please send it c/o LREI 272 Sixth Ave NY, NY 10014.Please realize that sending a title does not guarantee a review on Booktopia or Tweendom.Thanks so much.